All 133 cardinal electors in the upcoming papal conclave have arrived in Rome, the Vatican announced Monday.

The conclave to elect a Pope to replace Pope Francis will start on Wednesday, May 7. The Vatican said, overall, 179 cardinals are in Rome to participate in the 10^th general congregation.

The cardinal electors will be able to travel from the Casa Santa Marta to the Sistine Chapel as they wish, even on foot — but along a protected route — the Vatican said.

The congregation met to discuss numerous issues:

• Canon law and the role of the Vatican City state
• The missionary nature of the church
• The role of caritas in defending the poor
• The challenges of transmitting the faith, caring for creation, war and a fragmented world
• Divisions within the church
• The role of women in the church in the context of synodality
• Vocations, family, and the education of children

The 133 cardinals participating in the conclave hail from 71 different countries in the most geographically diverse conclave in history.

A two-thirds majority is needed to be elected Pope, meaning that if the number of electors holds at 133, the winner must secure 89 votes.

The countries with the most electors are: Italy (17), the United States (10), Brazil (7), France and Spain (5 each), Argentina, Canada, India, Poland and Portugal (4 each).

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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